The Cleveland Browns are officially cleaning house after they parted ways with general manager John Dorsey on Tuesday, and it sounds like the person they hire to replace him will not have a say in filling the team’s vacant head coaching position.
The Browns are looking to hire a head coach before finding their next GM, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. They apparently want to make sure their next coach and GM have a strong relationship, which could make the coaching job more appealing to a big-name candidate like Josh McDaniels.
Browns will prioritizing hiring a head coach before general manager, I'm told, because they want the head coach to have a strong connection with the new GM. That could pave the way for Josh McDaniels or others to partner up with somebody.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 1, 2020
Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta is not being promoted to GM, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that he is spearheading the team’s head coaching search.
The job title for Paul DePodesta — #Browns chief strategy officer — has not changed, but after a few days of mixed messages to candidates from the organization, DePodesta is now the one running the head coach hiring process for the Haslams, source said. Should be more directed.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 1, 2020
The 2019 season was a disaster for the Browns, and Freddie Kitchens wasted no time proving he never should have been promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach. It sounds like Cleveland then informed John Dorsey he was going to have less power, which is why the two sides decided to part ways.
While they are already targeting some big names in their coaching search, the Browns may have a difficult time selling the job as an appealing one. They have talented pieces in place on both offense and defense, but the tough part will be proving they have a legitimate path to stability within the organization, which is something that hasn’t existed in Cleveland in many years.
